Playboy bunnies have been around for more than 50 years, but they've never quite made their mark in Indonesia. But that's all about to change with a local version of Playboy magazine about to hit the newstands. The move has angered conservative Indonesians and fuelled a growing public debate on pornography.
Presenter/Interviewer: Bernadette Nunn
Speakers: Din Sjamsuddin, Chairman of Indonesia's second biggest Islamic group Mohammadiah; Leo Batubara, senior member of the Indonesian Press Council.
Nunn: They're called Playboy bunnies – the naked stars sprawled across the centrefold of Playboy magazine. And they're the reason Islamic groups say Indonesia should not be the latest in the magazine's stable of around 20 international editions. Din Sjamsuddin is Chairman of Mohammadiah, the second biggest Islamic group in Indonesia.
Din Sjamsuddin: If the publisher insists to distribute, to publish, Playboy Indonesian edition, I think the next day will create a great reaction. It's of course a voice of moralism. Not only from Muslims but also my colleagues from other religious communities: Catholics, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, also give the same kind of reaction.
Nunn: Mohammadiah says the country is not prepared for so much moral liberalism and the magazine's pornographic photos go against eastern morality.
Din Sjamsuddin: Nude pictures are in contadiction to the culture of many ethnic groups in the country. So I do believe that not only the organisations but the people, society at large will react.
Nunn: Indonesian readers may be able to honestly say they buy the soft-porn magazine for the articles, not the pictures. The Indonesian edition of Playboy will be stripped of its famous nudes. PT Velvet Silver Media is Playboy's would-be Indonesian publisher. Director, Ponti Carolus says he's met religious leaders and promised the magazine would respect Muslim values. It will be sold only by subscription and contain no photographs of naked women.
Din Sjamsuddin: I think the society will not believe it. I think this is maybe tactic from the publisher at the beginning that the magazine will not include nude pictures. But then step by step they will do that.
Nunn: The publisher says he's agreed to delay the March launch of the magazine until parliament has passed new laws against pornography, to be debated next week. But Leo Batubara from the Indonesian Press Council says the draft laws could see ordinary Indonesians jailed for seven years.
Batubara: This anti-pornography adopt a very conservative idea that certain dances, kissing between husband and wife, in front of the public, can be punished with seven years prison, so it's very conservative.
Nunn: The Press Council advised parliament to reject the proposed pornography laws saying they're against democratic and human rights.
Batubara: Like for instance certain dances of West Java or these people in Papua who are actually naked except what they call this Koteka, according to the draft these people in Papua will be subject to, will be put into, prison because they are naked.
Nunn: Mr Batubara says hardcore pornography should be covered by criminal law while distribution laws should allow publication of soft core pornography like Playboy, under certain conditions restricting access to adults.
Batubara: Children should be protected from pornography. Magazines on pornography, films on pornography, should be only distributed under certain conditions say, for instance, magazines should be covered and put on the higher benches. Also, certain films should be only broadcast through Pay TV for instance.